Did Aemon Targaryen Hint At Jon Snow’s True Identity Back In Season 1?

Hindsight being what it is, it’s easy to say now that we knew who Jon Snow’s were all along. But in reality, it was quite the mystery back in the early seasons of Game of Thrones. That makes it even more interesting that one particularly knowledgeable character might have dropped a sizeable hint back in Season 1. And no, it wasn’t Littlefinger — it was .

Remember how difficult it was for Jon to remain at Castle Black while Ned was being beheaded in King’s Landing and Robb was leading the rebellion in the North? Remember what Aemon Targaryen said to him?

Re-watch the scene below:

Imgur user found a deeper meaning in this conversation, and created a set of screenshots that juxtapose this conversation with the one between Ned and Lyanna at the Tower of Joy right after baby Jon is born:

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur

Source: sakhnini via Imgur [HBO]

Why Aemon Could Have Known The Truth

It’s the job of a maester to know things. And as one of the last remaining Targaryens, it would follow that Aemon would have known what was going on in his own house. We know he received ravens from King’s Landing and across Westeros, informing him of what was going on in the Seven Kingdoms. As the great uncle of Rhaegar Targaryen — and the Targaryen most likely to survive Robert’s Rebellion — it would have made perfect sense that Jon’s father would have trusted Aemon with the knowledge that their family line lives on in secret.

“Love is the death of duty.”

So, why didn’t Aemon tell Jon the truth? For : It was way, way too dangerous. Jon could very well be the true Targaryen heir, and even with Robert Baratheon dead, there would still be enough great houses that would want to see the Targaryens thoroughly decimated. While it might have been a comfort to both Jon and Aemon to share the secret, Aemon had a duty to the Targaryen line to take the truth to his grave.